SRI LANKA FOLK TALES 01

Sri Lanka FOLK TALES

 

THE STRANGE LAUGH

         Once in a certain country there lived a strange prince. Wherever he laughed it started raining. This story spread everywhere. 


         In another country there was a long drought. It lasted seven years. The king of that country heard about this strange prince and sent messengers to bring him there.

           Through the prince agreed to go, his wife the princess started crying. To console her he got  a carpenter to make an image of him. This was places in the bed room of the princess. Then he left on his errand.

 

     The journey was difficult. They had to travel by ship. As the sea was rough the trip was put off for the following day. He went back to his palace. He quietly peeped into the bedroom of the princess to see what she was doing. What did he see?.

          The princess had made some one to sit on his wooden image. She was bathing him. The prince did not let anyone know that he had returned. He quietly went back.

          When the princes reached the drought stricken country he was received very warmly. But he did not laugh. When they could not make him laugh was chased away. On his way he was treated with brickbats. He was very sad. H went in to an “ambalama” and sat in a corner, highly depressed.

          He saw there a beggar with limb stumps watching the road and eagerly waiting for some one. In a moment a beautiful princess came there with servant maid.

 “ Why are you so late ? ” , the beggar questioned angrily. 

          She replied, “ We were watching the deeds of a deceiver who had come to bring us rain. ” this could not appease the anger of the beggar. He started beating the princess with short  limbs. With one blow her necklace was broken it up and hid it in his pocket. 

The princess whilst receiving the blows from the beggar said.

            Fanning from the king’s robe

           ( truly does me hurt.)

            Blows from your limb stumps

            Never does me hurt

           On hearing this prince could not resist laughing. As he started laughing, it started raining, thus ending the long drought.

          The sent messengers in all directions to find the prince. He was  brought back to the palace and the king begged for pardon. He then asked the prince why he did not laugh before and why laughed later.

            When the king went on asking he could not resist anymore. He told him why he was sad and what made him laugh. To prove  what he said he gave the king the chip neck he had picked up.